Gilligan's Decision
by Doll Girl
Summary: Own no one. Post-Hunter AU. Kinkaid lost his mind and hurt Gilligan badly. Now the first mate has to make a decision on whether to return to his island family or go to Heaven. Which will he choose?


The castaways sat around their heavily injured friend in the supply hut. Fear gripped each of them knowing that Gilligan's life was in his own hands. The first mate had to decide whether he wanted to live or die.

None of them saw the spirit of the young sailor standing in the corner watching and listening. Beside him was an older woman that was more beautiful than even Ginger. An angel.

"Your choice is yours alone William but listen to your friends," she said gently.

Gilligan nodded afraid of what he might hear. He had screwed up yet another rescue attempt. He knew the drill by now. They would be angry with him for quite some time. The last thing he really remembered was the butt of Kinkaid's gun hitting him over and over in the head as the hunter lost his temper. The last thing he had heard was the Professor and Skipper yelling at Kinkaid to stop. Then it all went black.

The boy had appeared and watched as the Professor had done his best to to take care of him. He had tenderly cleaned every cut, applied medicine to every bruise, and gently wrapped the bandage around his head where the gun had done the most damage.

When he was finished was when Gilligan saw something he never thought he'd see in a million years.

The Professor had sank into a chair beside of him and put his head in his hands. In a voice that was full of nothing but sadness he said something that had made the spirit stop and take pause.

"Gilligan please stay with us. Please."

Then the angel had appeared to take him to Heaven but he was afraid. That fear was what was keeping him there.

Now he had a choice to make. The others could not see or hear him.

_Lord please don't take him. He's just a boy!_

Gilligan heard Mr Howell's prayer as clear as if he was saying it out loud as the millionaire held his wife close.

_We love him so much. Please Lord don't take him. He's just a child that I know you sent to us to heal our own broken heart! Please! He filled a hole that nothing on this Earth could fill. He's the son Thurston and I yearned for. Please...we'll take good care of him! He'll never want for anything!_

Mrs Howell's prayer brought tears to his eyes.

Mrs Howell cried into her husband's shirt. "You sweet, dear child. Heaven doesn't need another angel yet. Come home please!"

What would he wake up to though? Pain, disappointment...they'd be better off without him.

Mary Ann swallowed as she leaned up and kissed the bandaged forehead. "This wasn't your fault. Oh Gilligan we're not angry with you!"

The Skipper shut his eyes. "Mary Ann I think you just hit the nail on the head. He won't wake up because he's afraid to." His breath hitched. "Oh God…"

_Gilligan I'm not mad. I swear I'm not. Little Buddy you say that I'm the bravest man you've ever met but right now I'm scared. I need you. WIthout you I'll go back to the way I used to be: angry. God I can feel the darkness coming back already._

"Oh Skipper…" the spirit said swallowing.

"You did more than save his life that day. Gilligan, God doesn't make mistakes. You were sent to rescue him from himself and in that regard you were successful. Yes he sometimes loses his temper with you but without you he'd be lost and the darkness in his heart that you chased away will return and consume him once more." The angel put her hand on his shoulder. "The shipwreck was no accident but divine intervention. All seven of you were hurting and you have touched the lives of your friends even though it often doesn't seem that way."

"How?" Gilligan asked tearfully.

"You heard the Howells. You taught them both the true value of money and how worthless it is. They were not granted children, not because they would have been bad parents, but because there were lessons they needed to learn."

"Like what?"

"They knew how to love. They love each other. But they needed to learn to love someone enough to let him go. That night at the coming out party Mr Howell acted as the stern father but inside he was howling with laughter. After you had gone both of them became alive once again. He is a changed man. She is a changed woman. Your death would not change them back to their old ways but they would suffer from a broken heart that would never heal."

The angel then motioned to Ginger. The starlet was holding the injured sailor's hand and her shoulders shook in grief.

"I ruined Ginger's career," Gilligan said as tears fell.

"No child. You saved her life. Like many other stars before her she was going to turn to drugs and alcohol. If she returned she would have been severely harmed. The shipwreck took her out of that world in the nick of time. Her love of entertainment has been rekindled. Her ideas of men and how she would never be anything more than a trophy on their arm are no longer acceptable to her. She respects herself."

"What about her movie? I'm glad. Honest I am but the things she wrote…"

The angel smiled. "She never meant it. You melted her heart with the Cleopatra play. Mrs Howell confessed to her what you had said and it did not go unnoticed how much you were doing to help her. No one has ever put her before themselves like you have."

_I want to tell you so badly. Honey I've been writing something for you. I know how much you love fairy tales so I...I wrote you one. Please wake up so I can finish it and give it to you. Please don't let this be the end of The Gilligan Story._

Gilligan swallowed. "Oh Ginger…"

"Mary Ann was about to wed someone she wasn't in love with."

"WHAT?!"

The angel chuckled. "Yes. In Kansas she was being manipulated into marrying a man that she didn't love and he didn't love her back. He was a good man and would have been a good husband but he loved another. He would have strayed and their marriage would have ended up in shambles."

The angel then turned him to look a her. "William she has fallen in love with someone: you. Your heart as well belongs to her. It's time to stop fighting it William. The two of you are soulmates."

"But I'm not good enough."

"William, if you weren't good enough then why does she do everything in her power to make you happy? Why does she spend so much time with you? It's because she wants to. Give love a chance."

Gilligan looked at the farmgirl. "But...I live in Hawaii and she lives in Kansas…"

"William she doesn't want to return. Her parents are gone and her aunt and uncle, although they love her dearly, only want what's best for their farm. Not her. If she were given a choice she would choose you."

Gilligan blushed but smiled a little. "Gosh…"

_Dear friend wake up. I know how badly you are injured this time but please defy the odds once again. _

Gilligan looked at the Professor. "I'm not sure what I coulda done for him…"

"Growing up he was an only child and was quite lonely. He used his books and schoolwork to escape and it worked to a point. He was afraid of getting close to people. When he became a teacher it helped but he had no one that he could really turn to except his parents. His work now is no longer just busy work but ways to make life here easier. In truth he doesn't really want to be rescued because he knows that he'll never see you all again." She smiled. "He is happy here for the first time in his life."

Gilligan blinked in surprise. "Wait...did he do some things on purpose."

"No no. Well only once but the reason wasn't what you would suspect." At Gilligan's look of confusion she grinned. "His formula. That was the only truly deliberate ruin of a rescue. He knew exactly what he was doing when he placed it beside your food."

"Why would he do that?"

"You and the Skipper are the closest thing to brothers he's ever gotten and he's especially fond of you. He knew that the Skipper had been wars and how damaging the effect on him was. He didn't want to see you harmed by war. He was afraid that if you returned to the Navy you would be sent into danger and possibly killed. The risk was far too great in his mind so he made the secret decision and his only regret was that you got in trouble for it."

Gilligan's eyes went wide. "That's why he spent so much time with me after that when the others were mad at me and ignoring me."

"Yes William."

Gilligan looked from one sad face to another. The boy had tears in his eyes. "It's my decision right?"

The angel smiled. "Yes."

"If I stay what will life be like?"

"I can't tell you that but I can tell you that everything will work you."

He nodded. "Then….then I'd rather stay."

"I was hoping you would say that."

The angel touched his forehead and everything faded.

The castaways stared as Gilligan stirred. To their astonishment and joy his eyes fluttered open and he smiled at them.

The tears of sorrow and fear turned into tears of joy and relief as they all enveloped him in a loving embrace thanking him for waking up, reassuring him that they were angry with him and didn't blame him, and telling him they loved him.

Gilligan had tears in his own eyes as he realized that he was really and truly loved and had finally gotten the family he had only dreamed of.

He was alive and now it was time to truly live.


End file.
